Article grasping device



Sept. 11, 1956 GUEST 2,762,647

ARTICLE GRASPING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

Fur/1 1. 6a!!! I I I W United States Patent ARTICLE GRASPING DEVICE Ruth L. Guest, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 9, 1954, Serial No. 474,212

6 Claims. (Cl. 29422) The invention relates to remotely controlled, manually operated clasping and lifting devices such as adapted for use in stores and in homes and the like, for moving cans, bottles, containers and similar articles from, and for placing such articles onto, elevated shelves or other high places.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be light in weight and which may be held, manipulated and operated with ease and facility for the reaching up to and ranging over elevated shelves and the like, normally accessible only by standing on a ladder or chair or the like, for grasping of cans, bottles, containers or other articles thereon, and for the safe, convenient and sure removal and taking down of such articles, and which may with equal facility be used for the placement of such articles in compact, precise and orderly arrangement on such elevated shelves or other high places.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character above which may be constructed of a minimum number of sturdily formed parts which may be inexpensively manufactured and assembled to provide a relatively simple, low cost yet highly effective tool for the purpose intended.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an article grasping device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device, as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a plan sectional view of the device taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the device taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 1.

The article grasping device of the present invention consists briefly of an elongated handle 6 having a jaw assembly 7 at one end 8, including a pair of relatively movable jaws 9 and 10, the connecting means disposing the jaws in laterally spaced relation to the handle for convenient engagement with the opposite sides of an article 12, such as a can here illustrated, with their direction of opening and closing of the jaws generally transverse to the length of the handle, the attaching means providing further for a pivotal connection of the assem bly about an axis perpendicular to the length of the handle for joint swinging of the jaws into various angles to the length of the handle, and a manually engageable and disstraight transverse reciprocating movement.

placeable member 13 carried by the handle adjacent its opposite end 14 and being operatively connected to the jaws for effecting their relative displacement.

The mounting means for the jaw assembly here includes an inverted box-like member 16 having an open bottom end 17 mounted over the upper end 8 of the handle and pivotally secured thereto by a pin 18 extending through registering openings in the opposite side walls 19 and 20 of the member 16 and the upper end 8 of the handle. As here shown, the pin 18 is formed as a bolt having an enlarged head 22 exterior of side 20 and carrying an adjustable nut 23 exterior of the opposite side 19 of the member so as to permit tightening of the sides 19 and 20 against the opposite sides of the handle end 8 so as to hold the member in a selected rotative position on the end of the handle. As here shown, the member 16 is provided with an end wall 26 opposite to its open end 17 and generally parallel to the axis of bolt 18 upon which are slidably attached an elongated shank 27 for jaw member 9, the sliding connection between the shank and end wall 26 permitting selective positioning of jaw 9 transversely of the handle, jaw 9 being offset from one end 28 of shank 27, as illustrated in Figure 1. Means for detachably securing the shank 27 to end wall 26 here includes a bolt 31 carried by the end wall and projecting outwardly through a longitudinal slot 32 provided in the shank 27, the shank being secured in transversely adjusted position by means of a nut 33 threaded onto the outer end of bolt 31. A pair of guide pins 34 and 35 are here carried by the end wall for projecting through slot 32 so as to confine the relative displacement of the shank 27 to a Preferably, a suitable indicia is stamped into the outer face of the shank 27 as indicated in Figure 2, so as to facilitate the setting of the shank for different size cans, bottles or other articles.

Reciprocal mounting of jaw member 10 is here provided by opposite side walls 37 and 38 of member 16, generally perpendicularly related to side walls 19 and 20 and parallel to the pivotal axis. As here shown, walls 37 and 38 are provided with registering openings arranged to slidably receive and support spaced parallel legs 39 and 40 attached to jaw member 10, whereby the latter is carried for transverse reciprocation to and from the olfset depending jaw 9 for engagement with the opposite sides of the article 12 to be grasped. Preferably, and as here shown, a spring 42 is mounted between the side walls 37 and 38, and has one end 43 thereof secured to side wall 38, and its opposite end 44 extended through an opening 45 in side wall 37 and connected to jaw 10 for normally urging the latter to a retracted open position away from jaw 9. laws 9 and 10 may be covered, as here shown, by sleeves 47 and 48 of soft, compressible material such as rubber or the like, for facilitating the gripping of the article 12, and preferably, to further aid in this purpose, the jaws are formed to provide concave article engaging surfaces 49 and 5t as seen in Figure 3.

Closing of the jaws 9 and 10 onto the opposite sides of the article 12 is here effected, as above noted, by the remotely positioned manually engageable member 13, and preferably ratchet means 52 is included for holding the jaws in closed position so as to retain the article therein and against the jaw opening action of spring 42 while the article is being transported from or to the elevated shelf. As here shown, the operative connection between the member 13 and the movable jaw is effected by a cable 56 secured at one end to a cable drum 57 carried by the handle adjacent its lower end 14, the cable being extended through the interior of the handle (which is preferably of tubular form for this purpose) and from the upper end 8 thereof for connection to the movable jaw 10. As will be best seen in Figures 1 and 3, the legs 39 and 40 of the jaw are provided with a cross-bar 58 remote from the jaw 10, and the cable 56 is carried over a sheave 59 mounted interiorly of the handle at its upper end 8 and thence through an opening 60 in wall 38 and tied at its outer end 61 to cross-bar 58. As here shown, sheave 59 is supported for rotation by a sleeve hub 63 mounted on bolt 18 (see Figure 4).

The drum 57 is here mounted for rotation within a generally rectangular housing 66 supported by the handle adjacent its lower end 14, with the shaft 67 of the drum extending transversely centrally of the handle. The lower end of the cable is fed onto the drum around a sheave 68 mounted centrally in the tubular handle adjacent the entrance to the housing 66. The manually engageable member 13 here consists of a lever pivoted intermediate its ends as by pivot pin 69 in housing 66, and projecting upwardly through an opening 71 therein so that the upper hand engaging portion 72 of the lever is disposed adjacent to the handle 6 for closing of the jaws by squeezing of the lever part 72 to the handle. The opposite end 73 of the lever is pivotally connected as by pin 74 to a link 76, which in turn is pivoted as by pin 77 to the drum 57 in spaced relation to its shaft 67, whereby, upon clockwise displacement of the lever as seen in Figure 1, a clockwise displacement of the drum 57 will be effected, causing a reeling in of the cable and a closing movement of jaw in the direction of jaw 9. When the lever end 72 is released, the spring 42 will effect the retraction of jaw 10 away from jaw 9, thereby pulling out of the cable 56 and causing a counterclockwise movement of the drum 57 and counterclockwise opening movement of the lever end 72. Link 76 may be disposed to engage shaft 67 to provide a stop to such opening movement.

The pawl and ratchet means 52 for automatically holding the jaws in compression against the opposite sides of an article 12 to be grasped here include a series of ratchet teeth 81 mounted on the outer periphery of drum 57 and which are engaged by a spring biased pawl 82, the latter flexing away from the teeth and permitting clockwise rotation of the drum and butting against the teeth to prevent an unwinding, counterclockwise rotation of the drum. Accordingly, manually operable means 83 is here pro vided for releasing the pawl 82 from the ratchet teeth. As here shown, this means includes a stem 84 journaled for rotation in one wall 86 of the housing 66 and having a cam 87 at its interior end arranged upon rotation of the stem to engage and displace pawl 82 away from the ratchet teeth 81. A manually engageable offset outer end 88 is provided on the stem exterior of wall 86 for this purpose.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device is believed clear and may be summarized briefly as follows:

The device may be adjusted through a wide range for engagement with a large variety of sizes of cans, bottles, containers or other articles by the simple slide adjustment of jaw shank 27. To effect this adjustment, nut 33 is loosened on bolt 31 and the jaw member is slid to desired position, the printed indicia on the outer face of the shank indicating in most instances the proper positioning of the jaw member. After appropriate adjustment of the jaw member, the nut 33 is tightened to hold the jaw member in position. The head, or jaw assembly, may then be tilted to a most convenient angle for engagement of the article by loosening wing nut 23 and rotating the mounting member 16 on the upper end 8 of the handle to desired position, after which the nut may be tightened to cinch the parts in position. Having made these adjustments, the user may readily elevate the head end of the device up to the elevated shelf or other high place from which the article is to be removed, and with ease and facility grasp the article between the jaws 9 and 10 by squeezing lever portion 72 toward the handle 6. The pawl and ratchet means will automatically hold the jaws in engagement with the article while it is being lowered from the shelf. Of course it will be understood that the device may be used with equal ease and facility for placing articles on elevated shelves or at other high places in a compact, precise and orderly arrangement.

I claim:

1. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated handle, a jaw assembly composed of a bracket member pivotally secured to a normally upper end of said handle about a transverse axis, a jaw member having an elongated shank slidably carried by said bracket member for movement transversely of said handle and formed with an offset jaw, means detachably securing said shank to said bracket member in a selected transversely adjusted position of said jaw, a second jaw member carried by said bracket member for reciprocation transversely of said handle to and from said jaw for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped and arranged for joint swinging with said bracket member and said jaw about said pivotal axis for disposing the direction of opening and closing of said jaws at various angles to the length of said handle, said jaws being downwardly disposed from said shank for grasping said article from above, and a manually engageable and displaceable member carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end thereof and being operatively connected to said second jaw member for displacement thereof.

2. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated handle, a jaw assembly composed of a bracket pivotally secured to a normally upper end of said handle about a transverse axis and including an end wall arranged in a plane generally parallel to said axis and substantially perpendicularly related and spaced side walls, a jaw member having an elongated shank slidably attached to said end wall for movement transversely of said handle and formed with an offset jaw, means detachably securing said shank to said end wall in selected transversely adjusted position of said jaw, a second jaw member having spaced legs slidably carried by said side walls for reciprocation transversely of said handle to and from said jaw for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped, said jaws being downwardly disposed from said shank for grasping said article from above, and a manually engageable and displaceable member carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end thereof and being operatively connected to said second jaw member for displacement thereof.

3. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated tubular handle, a jaw assembly composed of a bracket pivotally secured to a normally upper end of said handle about a transverse axis and including an end wall arranged in a plane generally parallel to said axis and substantially perpendicularly related and spaced side walls, a jaw member having an elongated shank slidably attached to said end wall for movement transversely of said handle and formed with an offset jaw, means detachably securing said shank to said end wall in selected transversely adjusted position of said jaw, a second jaw member having spaced legs slidably carried by said side walls for reciprocation transversely of said handle to and from said jaw for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped, said jaws being downwardly disposed from said shank for grasping said article from above, a spring mounted between said side Walls and having one end secured to one of said side walls and an opposite end secured to said second jaw member for urging the movement of said second jaw member away from said jaw, a manually engageable lever carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end thereof, and a cable connected to said lever and extending interiorly of said handle to said second jaw member for displacing the latter towards said jaw upon manual displacement of said lever.

4. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated handle, a pair of relatively movable jaws supported in depending relation at a normally upper end of said handle for positioning over and for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped and having a direction of opening and closing generally perpendicular to the length of said handle, a spring normally urging the opening of said jaws, a manually engageable and displaceable member carried by said handle and being operatively connected to said jaws for closing said jaws upon an article upon manual displacement of said member, and ratchet means holding said jaws in closed position to retain the article therein and against the jaw opening action of said spring.

5. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated tubular handle, a jaw assembly including relatively stationary and movable jaws, means connecting said assembly in depending relation at a normally upper end of said handle with said jaws spaced laterally therefrom and having a direction of opening and closing generally transverse to the length of said handle for positioning over and for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped, spring means normally urging said movable jaw away from said stationary jaw, a cable drum carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end thereof, a manually engageable lever carried by said handle and operatively connected for rotation of said drum, a cable carried by said drum and extending interiorly of said handle to said movable jaw for displacing the latter towards said stationary jaw upon displacement of said lever against the resistance of said means, and pawl and ratchet means automatically holding said drum to retain an article between said jaws and against the jaw opening action of said spring means.

6. A remote article grasping device comprising, an elongated tubular handle, a jaw assembly including relatively stationary and movable jaws, means connecting said assembly in depending relation at a normally upper end of said handle with said jaws spaced laterally therefrom and having a direction of opening and closing generally transverse to the length of said handle for positioning over and for engagement with the opposite sides of an article to be grasped, said means including a pivotal connection having an aXis perpendicular to the length of said handle for joint swinging of said jaws to dispose said direction of jaw movement at various angles to the length of said handle, spring means normally urging said movable jaw away from said stationary jaw, a cable drum carried by said handle adjacent the opposite end thereof, a manually engageable lever carried by said handle and operatively connected for rotation of said drum, a cable carried by said drum and extending interiorly of said handle to said movable jaw for displacing the latter towards said stationary jaw upon displacement of said lever against the resistance of said spring means, pawl and ratchet means automatically holding said drum to retain an article between said jaws and against the jaw opening action of said spring means, and manually operable means for disengaging said pawl and ratchet means to permit opening of said jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 673,191 Arthur Apr. 30, 1901 1,482,147 Potts Ian. 29, 1924 1,926,948 Iifland Sept. 12, 1943 2,427,842 Diver Sept. 23, 1947 2,544,707 Margolis Mar. 13, 1951 

